Brain Stem Implants News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Auditory brain stem implants on young children. here's how it works. similar to a cochlear implant, it has external and internal parts. a microphone and transmitter on the head converts sounds from the outside world into electrical signals. those signals are transmitted to the internal receiver made up of electrobes. bypassing the inner ear completely. >> by putting this electrode directly into the hearing centers of the brain, it is taking stuff and using the brain the way it's designed to work. and the brain itself in a very young child is able to grow and develop around this implant. >> cad...

Operation. dr. eric wilkinson was another. >> going to take a look at the implant. his scar is actually really nicely healing up. >> dr. wilkinson is one of the lead investigators on this abi trial. children's hospital of los angeles and the university of southern california aren't the first to be performing auditory brain stem implants. surgeons in italy have been doing this procedure for more than ten years. but this trial is the only fda approved one in the united states. funded by the national institutes of health. >> you want that? you can have -- >> they are also focusing on one particul...

Up. >> reporter: dr. wilkinson is a lead investigator. children of los angeles and the university of southern california are not the first to be performing auditory brain stem implants. in fact, surgeons in italy have been doing this procedure for more than ten years. but this trial is the only fda approved one in the united states funded by the national institutes of health. >> do you want that? do you want that? >> reporter: they are also focusing on one particular age group. >> we know from cochlear implant studies that the earlier the auditory system in the brain can be stimulated, the bet...

That converts sound to nerve impulses and then sends them to the brain. with no cocleas, a cochlear implant would be no help. from the start tommy and danielle learned sign language. they figured it would be the only way caden would ever communicate. then danielle heard of another option. >> it was random. i just talking to a friend and she was like, i think that they're doing abis in the u.s. now. >> so abi stands for auditory brain stem implant. the main use for this is for kids born without nerves to the ears. so i like calling it a bionic ear. >> reporter: dr. mark kreeger is a pete trick ...